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Valencia coach Neville content to pile on the pressure

Gary Neville has piled the pressure on himself and his Valencia team after saying they must beat Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday evening.

The former Manchester United captain and current England assistant coach has yet to secure a Primera Division victory since his arrival in Spain in at the start of December.

During his reign, he has seen Valencia slide from the fringes of the Champions League places into the bottom half of the table and now Los Che sit just four points above the relegation zone.

His frustration is obvious, while many Valencia supporters have turned against Neville already.

Wednesday’s Copa del Rey second leg against Barcelona is effectively a dead match, given Valencia’s 7-0 hammering in the first leg after a terrible night at the Nou Camp.

It means Valencia will rest several key players, mindful they must put league matters first. A defeat to Espanyol on Saturday could plunge Valencia into the thick of a relegation scrap.

Neville, who is set to miss England’s squad get-together at St George’s Park on Thursday to focus on his job in Spain, feels Valencia have not had fair reward for their last three league performances, from which they have mustered just one point.

Speaking in a press conference, shown on Valencia’s official website, Neville said: “I know when we play games like that it can turn around very quick.

“It has to turn around on Saturday. We have to win this match on Saturday, that’s the pressure I’m putting on myself and the expectation of everybody – we have to win on Saturday.”

When dropping into the second tier was mentioned, Neville said: “I’m not even considering that.

“I know the situation we’re in. I’m desperate to turn these results around. I will turn these results around.”